The Cseppkő Street Children’s Home. (Source: the institution’s Facebook page)
Two little girls were regularly taken home by an educator from the Cseppkő Children’s Home in the capital, moreover, several of his colleagues had known for months that the educator would “take the girls in his arms, kiss them on the lips”, wrestle with them, sleep in their beds in the home, “but there were also examples of that he bathed with them”. This, among other things, emerges from the report written by external experts and completed on February 24, 2011, which is now – together with other documents – in the People’s word requested from the capital with a public interest data request. No disciplinary proceedings were initiated in the case of the employee concerned, he left the children’s home by mutual agreement, and the police closed the investigation “in the absence of a crime”. That way, the person can now work anywhere, without a prius.
Despite all this, the director of the home later received recognition, the newspaper wrote. “In the social and child protection field, he carries out his work with the interests of children in mind. Its motto: to provide care that replaces family education to those who come to them. Krisztián Herczeg’s work is characterized by thoroughness, dedication and preparation”. With these words, Zsolt Láng, the Fidesz faction leader, nominated the director of the Children’s Home in Cseppkő Street in the capital for the István Bárczy Award in 2021. The director received the István Bárczy award in the same way as the pedophile head of the children’s home in Bicske.
In the report requested with the public interest data request, it is stated that the institution hindered the investigation in various ways. Several ombudsman reports were drawn up, one of which found it problematic that a teacher suspected of pedophilia could leave by mutual agreement. According to the authors of the report, Krisztián Herczeg was far from cooperative, for example, the children were taken to “playgrounds” so that the professionals could not talk to them. Director Krisztián Herczeg did not accept the contents of the 2011 report, as he found it excessively subjective. In response to the question regarding the poor conditions revealed in the reports, he told the newspaper that “after my appointment, a plan of action was drawn up affecting the entire operation of the institution”. To the question regarding the presentation of the home’s current operation and pedagogical methods, he answered: “the institution operates in accordance with the prescribed legislation”.
